Welcome to 2017! It’s a new year, full of exciting adventures and new opportunities for travel enthusiasts of any kind. Whether you want a quiet get away, a cultural experience, or a brand new attraction, there are plenty of places to pick from”including U.S. destinations.
Akagera National Park in Rwanda
Located in northeast Rwanda along the border of Tanzania, Akagera National Park is named for the Akagera River that makes up the eastern boundary of the park. Grassland, woods, and lakes make this African savannah a unique and beautiful place to explore and set up camp. The park is a fantastic place to discover large animals such as elephants, giraffes, hippos, and zebras. An exciting recent addition is seven lions to inhabit the park. Donated from South Africa, the lions are being given the chance to repopulate this area after a 15-year absence, an eventual result of the 1994 genocides. It is the hope that the lions, now able to roam freely, will reproduce and become a part of the natural environment once again.
Center for Extreme Tourism in Nicaragua
Daring adventurers will love the recently opened Center for Extreme Tourism in Chinandega, Nicaragua. Here you can climb the country’s tallest active volcano, San Cristobal Volcano. The center is located at the foot of the volcano and includes an inn, dining, and trails for hiking. Part of a colonial route that links twelve volcanoes in seven different Central American countries, this destination is rich in history and culture.
Lake Iseo in Italy
In June 2016, tourists can delight in the rare experience of walking on water at the Floating Piers art installation at Lake Iseo in Northern Italy. (Some may remember the work of artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude when they installed 7,500 gates in New York City’s Central Park in 2005, a visual feast which inspired many.) For the 16 days that the Floating Piers exhibit will be open, guests will be able to walk a two mile span of the lake on top of beautifully decorated floatable cubes designed to feel the movement of the water underneath. Be sure to take enough time of your day to walk out into the middle of the lake and enjoy the natural beauty of your surroundings. It’s surely a welcome place of calm and peace in a world of technology and fast paced living.
Field of Light Installation in Australia
Another amazing art project to behold this year is Bruce Munro’s Field of Lights at the famed Ayers Rock in Uluru, Australia. Visitors will walk through pathways of creatively installed stems of frosted lights under the beautiful night sky. Munro enjoys creating art with light to evoke emotion, and this exhibit with opportunities to wander the field or even eat dinner amongst the lights and stars is sure to awe and inspire you.
Dr. Seuss Museum in Massachusetts
Who doesn’t love Dr. Seuss in some way or another? Famous for his children’s books and inspiring words, a museum dedicated to him is coming to Springfield, Massachusetts in the later part of 2016. A wonderful place to go if you are traveling with children, the museum will feature interactive and hands-on exhibits that will have people of all ages feeling young at heart again.
